The General Lee
by JadedPhoenixBurning
Summary: Ever wondered how a star could go to Hazzard without getting caught in Rosco's and Boss's speed trap.  Here's how.  Who do you think will guest star tonight on The Dukes?


The General Lee

The day found Bo and Luke letting off steam tearing up the dirt roads in The General Lee. It was just a couple of weeks before things would really begin to get hectic around Hazzard for harvesting season and the Ladies Club had organized a dance to give the residents one last wing ding before the hard work began. Currently, the two men were discussing just who each of them planned to ask to the affair.

"I was thinking of asking Sandy but she's already gotten herself a date. I might ask Mary Beth. She's been droppin' hints for a while."

"I'd stay away from her if I was you Bo. Them hints that she's been a droppin' hasn't just been to go to the dance together. She's got her eye on you for a more permanent arrangement." Luke smirked at the look on Bo's face at that statement.

"In that case, maybe Tiffany instead. She ain't got no designs in mind like that." Bo sent his attention back to driving and saw a black car on the side of the road up ahead. "Hey Luke, you see what I see?"

"Pull over, let's see if we can help them out."

"Yes sir." Bo eased the stock car in behind the disabled vehicle and the two cousins slid out of the windows to see what they could do. Walking around the dark sedan, they saw a man wearing all black trying to figure out just what had made his car stall on the side of the road. "Can we help you mister?" When the man backed away from the hood and the guys got a good look at the owner, their jaws dropped.

"It's...I can't believe it...Mister. Do you know who you are?"

"Son, I have the feelin' that if'n I didn't, you're about to tell me," Said the man with dark hair, all in black.

"You're Johnny Cash!" Bo went to shake his hand, "Am I glad to meet you. Havin' troubles with your car?"

"Yep. It just up and died on me. And I have to get to Atlanta for a T.V. special tonight."

Luke shook off the feeling of being star struck and moved to look under the hood. "Well, let's see if we can get you back on your way. I'm Luke Duke. This here is my cousin Bo Duke."

"I appreciate your help, boys."

"Mr. Cash, if you'd had made it another mile down the road, you would have been caught in Rosco's speed trap." Bo couldn't stop grinning at the chance encounter. None of the others were going to believe this.

"Rosco?"

"He's what passes for a Sheriff around here. Ordinarily, when a celebrity passes by here, he catches them in a speed trap and make them choose either one night in jail or one free song at the local tavern owned by the commissioner."

"It seems that I heard something about a town around these parts that has a reputation for something like that. I think that it was Joe Bonsall that told me something about getting caught in a speed trap around here."

"Actually, he and the other Oak Ridge Boys were caught twice." Bo confirmed with a chuckle.

"Anyone ever choose the night in jail instead?"

"Not yet. Everyone's in too much of an all fire hurry to stick around longer than they need to."

"I also heard from ol' Joe that there's a car around here somewhere that you have to see to believe. One that nearly every lawman in the area can't catch."

If Bo's smile could get any bigger, it just did as he puffed his chest out in pride. "That would be our car." Bo pointed to the stock car, "The General Lee." Johnny walked over to the car and let out a low whistle.

"Well would you look at that. Is he really the fastest car in the state?"

"I don't know about the whole state, but he's the best in at least three counties."

"Here's your trouble," Luke butted in from under the hood. "Your fuel pumps busted. You're gonna need a new one."

"And here I need to get on back on the road."

"No problem. Our friend Cooter runs the garage in town. He can get you fixed up in no time."

"That sounds fine except for one thing. I need to be in Atlanta by the end of the business day. You boys couldn't help me out could you?"

"Well, sir. We could take you as far as the county line, but we can't leave Hazzard on account that me and Bo here are on Probation."

"That'd be fine. My band manager is over in Hatchapee. Once we get close, I'll give 'em a holler and he can meet us at the line."

"Well then hop on in."

"At least I get to see if this here car lives up to it's reputation."

"Mister, if you want, I'd even let you drive The General." Bo beams as he gets ready to get in.

"Somehow, son, I doubt that I'd be able to get 'The General' to perform the same way you do. I'll settle for shot gun."

"You got it."

"If you boys don't mind me askin'. Why are ya'll on probation?"

"Luke and me got caught running 'shine a few years back."

"Oh, good. There for a minute I'd thought you boys had committed a crime or something." Cash gave a lopsided smile as he slid into the passenger's seat as both of the fellas laughed and slid into the car as well. Bo then put in a call to Cooter to tow the car in, saying that he and Luke would explain later who it belonged to. With that done, he put the car in gear and sent The General flying down the road. Within a couple of miles, lights and sirens were bringing up the rear from behind them.

"Great. Rosco," Luke said as he turned to see which of the two Hazzard County patrol cars was behind them.

"What do you boys usually do in a situation like this?"

"Lose 'em." Bo answers with a shrug.

"Well," Cash looked behind him remembering that if that sheriff knew he was in the car, he'd somehow make him miss his special tonight. "What are you waiting for? Show me what this car can do." Bo's face brightened as he was given the chance to show off his skill behind the wheel to someone so famous.

"In that case, hang on!" Bo mashed the accelerator and sent the car careening around the curves at breakneck speeds. Rosco was doing a fairly good job at keeping pace with them, too.

_"Alright you Duke Boys. Pull over. You blasted through that speed trap, err, check point going 55 mph and it had been reduced to 35mph. I got 'cha now!" _Rosco hollered over the C.B.

"Not yet you don't Rosco. You know the rules. You've got to catch us first." Bo sent the car off road and headed towards a nearby field. "Hey Rosco! Have you had your bath today? The car wash is up ahead." With that, Bo aimed the car towards the Hazzard Pond and got ready to jump it. "Hang on Mr. Cash. We're gonna send 'ole Rosco swimmin'." With that, The General hit the ramp and got enough lift to make it clean to the other side of the pond. Pulling over, the three men watched as Rosco tried to follow suit but fell short and ended up in the pond.

"He's alright it looks like. Hit it Bo." Putting the car in gear, the orange stock car once again headed for the county line. Cash had gotten his manager on the CB and he was waiting for them once they'd gotten there.

"I'd like to thank you boys for your help. Especially for that impressive ride out here. That's some car ya got there. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Nah. We was glad to do it. If you're ever out this way again, feel free to come on by. Anyone will be able to direct ya out to the Duke Farm."

"I'll keep that in mind. I'll have someone to swing by and get the car in a day or two. Don't forget to watch the show tonight."

"We wouldn't miss it. We're lookin' forward to it." The Dukes exchanged handshakes with 'The Man in Black' and watch as he headed toward Atlanta. "The rest of the family ain't gonna believe this." Luke said.

"Nor Cooter. He gets to work on the car of mister Johnny Cash himself. I think this just might make his day."

"I'd say it'll make his week. Come on. Let's head back."

/

After supper, during which the boys revealed their encounter with the country singer, the family gathered around the T.V. to watch that same star on his T.V. special.

Johnny Cash walked out on stage and approached the mic while carrying his guitar. "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash. Now ordinarily, I start out these shows with 'Folsom Prison Blues', but tonight I'm gonna do things a bit differently. You see today, I had a little car trouble and these two good ole boys helped me out. Made sure that I was able to get here on time tonight. They also gave me the most unbelievable ride in their supped up car. I'd heard rumors about that car, but none of them did him justice. Them boys must have put a part of each of their souls into that car cause when you're ridin' in it, you'd almost swear that it was alive. So to thank those two fellas who didn't ask for a thing for their trouble, I'd like to start off tonight with this song that I was able to put together today. It's called, 'THE GENERAL LEE'. I hope you enjoy."

"What'd ya know Luke. The General's gonna be famous!"

_I'm a charger _

_That charges through the night _

_Like an orange bolt of lightning _

_Passing everything in sight _

_I'm the best pal the Duke boys' ever had _

_I'm thunder on the highway looking bad, bad, bad_

_I'm a knight _

_Like the kind in shining armor _

_With my polished body gleaming _

_I'm a fighter and a charmer _

_If trouble comes your way just ask for me _

_My friends all know me as the General Lee_

_I'm the General Lee _

_A piston pumpin' _

_steel belted cavalry _

_I'll never let you down _

_when you're riding with me _

_Buckle up and I'll show you what I mean _

_Take a look back there _

_Sirens blowing red lights flashing everywhere _

_We'll cross the field and we'll be runnin' free _

_They'll eat dust with compliments of me _

_The General Lee_

_I'm a hero _

_And that's how I'll make you feel _

_When you're riding shotgun with me _

_And the law is at your heels _

_I'm glory bound and when the chase is done _

_I'll take off through the mountains and have fun, fun, fun_

_I've got style _

_Tearing through the curves _

_With my flag waving proudly _

_to the people that I serve _

_I'm number 1 and I'll always be _

_The pride of the South they call _

_the General Lee_

_I'm the General Lee _

_A piston pumpin' _

_steel belted cavalry _

_I'll never let you down _

_when you're riding with me _

_Buckle up and I'll show you what I mean _

_Take a look back there _

_Sirens blowing red lights flashing everywhere I_

_'ll jump that pond and we'll be running free _

_And they'll go swimming compliments of me _

_The General Lee _

_The General Lee _

_(muscle engine roaring)_

_(Dixie horn)_

The song hadn't even ended before the phone began to ring at the Duke Farm. Looks like they weren't the only ones watching Cash's show. Maybe NOW everyone will believe the day they'd had.


End file.
